How to Build US Credit as a Foreigner from Israel

Introduction

Israeli founders expanding into the United States frequently encounter the "invisible-credit" problem. When setting up a U.S. business entity, opening corporate bank accounts, securing commercial leases, or applying for business credit cards, founders discover that their spotless local financial track record—tracked by major Israeli business information and credit bureaus such as Dun & Bradstreet Israel (D&B Israel) and CofaceBDI—does not cross international borders [1] [2]. In the U.S. financial system, an immigrant or non-resident founder without an established domestic credit history is effectively invisible, which can trigger personal guarantee requirements or outright denials from lenders.

Why US credit matters

A US credit file changes what a US company can do. Without one, financing means cash collateral or a personal guarantee, corporate cards come with a deposit, and commercial leases ask for six months up front.

With one, the same company borrows at a normal rate. That is the whole difference, and it is why the sequence below is worth the months it takes.

No part of this is guaranteed. Credit decisions belong to lenders, and nobody — including us — can promise you a score or a limit.

The Amex Global Transfer route

American Express runs a programme — Global Transfer, sometimes called the Global Card Relationship — that lets an existing Amex cardholder apply for a US card using their established relationship with Amex rather than starting from nothing.

Your credit history does not transfer. This is the most common misunderstanding about the programme. What transfers is the relationship — Amex's own record of how you have handled your account with them. Your local bureau file, your repayment record with other lenders and your local credit score do not cross the border. Amex US underwrites you as a new customer who happens to be a known quantity to Amex.

That is still a considerable advantage over building a US file from zero. It is not the same as arriving with a credit history.

Four conditions apply, and all four must be met:

1. The card you already hold must be issued by American Express itself, not by a local bank operating under an American Express licence.
2. You must be the primary cardholder, not an additional or supplementary cardholder.
3. You must have held the card for at least three months.
4. The account must be open and in good standing when you apply.

Corporate cards are excluded separately from all four.

Condition one eliminates more applicants than the other three combined. In many markets American Express operates through Global Network Services, where a local bank licenses the Amex brand and issues its own cards under it. Those cards carry the Amex logo, but the account relationship belongs to the bank — so there is nothing to transfer. A local partnership is not an alternative route to eligibility; it is the thing that removes it.

How to check your own card: read the cardholder agreement, not the card. The agreement names the legal entity that issued it. If that name is a local bank, the card will not qualify. If it is an American Express entity, it may. If you cannot find the agreement, call the number on the back and ask which legal entity issued the card.

We maintain a country-by-country reference for this, including which markets are confirmed and which are not: Amex Global Transfer country eligibility [blocked]

Check before you rely on this: American Express sets these terms and can change them. Confirm current conditions with American Express directly.

The ITIN Path

For founders without an eligible foreign Amex card, acquiring an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the foundational step for entering the U.S. financial ecosystem.

1. Form W-7 Preparation: Complete IRS Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, attaching the required federal tax return or qualifying treaty-exempt documentation.
2. Identity Authentication: Certify your Israeli passport and supporting identity documents either through an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) or directly at designated U.S. consulates or passport acceptance centers.
3. Submission to the IRS: Submit the application package to the IRS ITIN Operation division in Austin, Texas, or through a licensed U.S. CPA firm specializing in international inbound founders.
4. Receipt of ITIN: Wait approximately 6 to 12 weeks for the IRS to issue the formal ITIN assignment letter (CP 565).
5. Securing an ITIN Credit Card: Use the newly minted ITIN to apply for secured credit cards or specialized non-resident credit builder products offered by major U.S. issuers.

Nova Credit

Nova Credit acts as a cross-border credit bureau bridge that enables foreign nationals to translate their home-country credit history into a U.S. equivalent score.

• Supported Corridors: Nova Credit currently integrates with credit bureaus in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
• Application for Israeli Founders: Because Israel is not currently part of Nova Credit's active direct bureau integration network, Israeli founders cannot automatically port their local D&B Israel or CofaceBDI credit history into U.S. lending portals via Nova Credit. Founders from Israel should check Nova Credit's continuously updated country list for expanding partnerships or utilize alternative foundational building blocks.

Business Credit: The Faster Lane

To protect personal credit scores and build corporate financial muscle rapidly, Israeli founders should focus on establishing standalone business credit.

• Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) D-U-N-S Number: Register your U.S. C-Corp or LLC to obtain a free D-U-N-S number, which establishes your corporate credit file.
• The Paydex Score: Build a strong commercial credit profile by opening vendor accounts with 30-day payment terms (Net-30 terms) with suppliers that report payment behavior to commercial bureaus. Paying invoices ahead of schedule pushes your D&B Paydex score toward 80+, signaling high creditworthiness.
• Corporate Cards Without SSN: Apply for corporate credit cards through modern fintech platforms (such as Mercury, Brex, or Ramp) that underwrite based on corporate bank account balances and venture backing rather than personal U.S. credit history or an SSN.

Recommended Sequence

1. Form Your Entity: Establish your U.S. C-Corp or LLC and secure your Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN).
2. Open a U.S. Business Bank Account: Partner with digital-first business banks (such as Mercury or Relay) using your EIN and formation documents.
3. Acquire an ITIN: Apply for an IRS ITIN via an authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent if you do not qualify for direct cross-border card transfers.
4. Secure Initial Revolving Credit: Apply for a secured business or personal credit card using your ITIN or EIN, maintaining low utilization ratios.
5. Establish Trade Lines: Open Net-30 vendor accounts and ensure timely reporting to commercial credit bureaus to rapidly scale your corporate borrowing capacity.

What Keystone Bridge does

We handle the US side for founders based outside the United States: entity formation, EIN, ITIN, US business banking access, and business credit.

The price of every stage is published on this site, so a first conversation is about whether we fit — not a pitch. If the answer is that you can do this yourself, we will tell you so.

References

[1] Dun & Bradstreet Israel. About Dun & Bradstreet Israel. https://dbisrael.co.il/en/about/ [2] CofaceBDI. Risk Rating and Business Information Systems. https://www.bdicoface.co.il/en/service/risk-rating/ [3] American Express. Moving Abroad - Global Card Transfer - United States. https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/company/about-us/moving-abroad/

This guide is for informational purposes only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified adviser for your specific situation.